Middletown Township’s new manager outlined his strategic priorities developed during his first month on the job and presented them to to the Board of Supervisors Monday evening
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Eden Ratliff, who replaced Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls after her retirement in spring, said he is focused on strategic planning, budget development, and increased transparency as key focus areas for his administration.
“It has been a really fun 30 days,” he said.
The new manager also announced early progress on meeting with Oxford Valley Mall and support for local fire and emergency services.
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“This is my fifth local government, and I can tell you it’s not like this everywhere,” Ratliff said, praising the township staff. “It’s really special to be part of a team with people who really care about not only what they’re doing, but who they’re doing it with.”
Ratliff detailed his meeting with representatives from Simon Property Group, which owns the approximately 100-acre Oxford Valley Mall property. He said the township is interested in partnering to understand the future vision for the site.
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“The response I got from them was overwhelmingly positive,” Ratliff said, noting the company believes Middletown Township is a great place to do business due to the community’s disposable income level and density.
Ratliff expects follow-up conversations in the coming months and suggested making future planning a community project.
On fire and emergency medical services, Ratliff, who has served in the fire service, acknowledged funding needs across the township’s four volunteer fire companies and one ambulance squad. He cited the statutory responsibility under state’s second-class township code to support fire and emergency medical services.
Credit: Chris English/LevittownNow.com
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“Success is not guaranteed, but it is our responsibility,” he said. “I think that there is an opportunity for enhanced regional collaboration with our volunteers and career staff to figure out what the future of the fire service looks like and how the township can support that.”
On transparency, Ratliff announced that the municipality will now publish complete meeting packets, including detailed staff reports and consultant information, ahead of meetings.
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“There is an agenda that we put every month and you’ll notice that this month we changed it around and actually published the whole packet,” he said.
Ratliff also pointed to additional steps, including public workshops, work sessions, and FAQs on the township website.
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Ratliff noted challenges with the budget, citing a general fund operations deficit of approximately $2.5 million, which will grow to $3.5 million by the state of next year.
“We’re starting $3.5 million in the wrong direction,” Ratliff said. “It’s going to be inherent for us to have a plan to be able to get to baseline so that we can start doing the creative things that the Board of Supervisors has in mind.”
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He said the township recently used $2.5 million from its investment fund for capital projects, which he described as an appropriate use of funds. However, he pointed to the need for a plan to address the operational shortfall.
The first capital planning workshop is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the Raymond P. Mongillo Community Center at 2140 Trenton Road in Levittown.
Looking ahead, Ratliff plans to work with supervisors, department directors, and the public to create a balanced budget. He also intends to develop a public works plan with Assistant Township Manager Nick Valla.
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“I can’t really do this by myself and I don’t have to,” Ratliff said. “I have an amazing assistant township manager who has a lot of things that he is working on.”
He stressed the importance of connecting various planning documents, including the comprehensive plan and an ongoing open space master plan, with budget and resource allocation decisions.
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“We have limited resources. How are we going to allocate those in order to accomplish these master plans and accomplish that comprehensive plan?” Ratliff said, noting it would be a central theme in budget discussions.
Before joining Middletown Township, Ratliff served as deputy city manager for Charlottesville, Virginia. He also served as manager Kennett Township, Chester County; Greencastle Borough, Franklin County; and Ford City, Armstrong County. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is currently pursuing a master’s in public management from Johns Hopkins University.
Editor’s Note: The location of the budget workshop has been corrected.
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